Bulletin  No.  339 


Series  Q,  Fuels,  10 


DEPARTMENT  OF  THE  INTERIOR 

UNITED  STATES  GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY 

GEORGE  OTIS  SMITH,  Director 


THE  PURCHASE  OF  COAL  UNDER  GOVERNMENT 
AND  COMMERCIAL  SPECIFICATIONS  ON  THE 
BASIS  OF  ITS  HEATING  VALUE 

WITH  ANALYSES  OF  COAL  DELIVERED  UNDER 
GOVERNMENT  CONTRACTS 


BY 

D.  T.  RANDALL 


WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE 

1908 


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CONTENTS. 


Page. 

Introduction - f _ 

t  Advantages  of  definite  specifications  in  the  purchase  of  coal _  6 

j  Value  of  coal  as  a  fuel _  7 

■  Specifications  in  use _  10 

Methods  of  sampling  and  testing _  21 

c~  Analyses  of  coals  delivered  to  the  Government _  24 

°  Some  publications  on  coal _  27 


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in  2017  with  funding  from 

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https://archive.org/details/purchaseofcoalunOOrand 


THE  PURCHASE  OF  COAL  UNDER  GOVERNMENT  AND 
COMMERCIAL  SPECIFICATIONS  ON  THE  BASIS 
OF  ITS  HEATING  VALUE. 


By  D.  T.  Randall. 


INTRODUCTION. 

The  people  of  this  country  have  been  purchasing  coal  for  years 
on  the  statement  of  the  selling  agent  as  to  its  quality,  or  on  the  repu¬ 
tation  of  the  mine  or  district  from  which  it  was  obtained.  The 
farmers  of  the  country  show  more  business  judgment  in  the  purchase 
of  fertilizer  than  do  many  manufacturers  in  buying  coal,  for  the 
farmer  demands  a  chemical  analysis  of  the  fertilizer  before  he  ac¬ 
cepts  it. 

Until  recently  there  has  oeen  but  little  reliable  information  regard¬ 
ing  the  character  of  the  coal  supply  of  the  United  States.  This  fact 
was  recognized  in  the  establishment  of  the  fuel-testing  plant  of  the 
United  States  Geological  Survey  at  St.  Louis  in  1904.  Extended 
general  investigations  have  been  conducted  at  this  plant  and  its  suc¬ 
cessors  and  in  the  field,  and  in  addition  the  technologic  branch  of 
the  Survey  has  been  charged  with  the  duty  of  analyzing  and  testing 
the  coals  used  by  the  Government. 

The  Government  is  a  large  purchaser  of  coal,  reports  from  the  vari¬ 
ous  Departments  indicating  that  nearly  $6,300,000  is  expended  each 
year  for  fuel.  Some  time  ago  the  necessity  for  a  more  uniform 
standard  in  the  purchase  of  coal  became  apparent  and  the  plan  of 
buying  it  on  the  basis  of  its  heating  value  was  introduced  in  a  few. 
Departments.  Many  of  the  large  commercial  consumers  in  the  United 
States  have  been  purchasing  their  coal  on  contracts  of  this  nature  for 
some  time. 

The  present  paper  summarizes  the  information  on  this  subject  ob¬ 
tained  by  the  Survey,  including  examples  of  specifications  that  are 
now  in  use  and  analyses  of  some  of  the  coal  purchased  by  the  Govern¬ 
ment  during  the  winter  of  1906-7. 


5 


6 


THE  PURCHASE  OF  COAL  UNDER  SPECIFICATIONS. 


ADVANTAGES  OF  DEFINITE  SPECIFICATIONS  IN  THE 
PURCHASE  OF  COAE. 

Under  the  old  plan  of  purchasing  coal,  when  the  consumer  had 
cause  or  thought  he  had  cause  to  find  fault  with  the  quality  of  the 
fuel  he  received,  he  was  in  many  cases  assured  that  it  must  be  good 
because,  like  all  the  other  coal  sent  him,  it  came  from  a  mine  with  an 
established  reputation.  Such  a  state  of  affairs  made  it  difficult  to 
take  advantage  of  the  competition  which  usually  results  when  a  con¬ 
siderable  number  of  bidders  are  asked  to  submit  prices.  The  pur¬ 
chaser  was  afraid  to  buy  from  any  but  such  dealers  as  he  knew  and 
trusted,  because,  although  each  dealer  claimed  that  his  coal  was  equal 
in  quality  to  that  of  the  others,  yet  if  it  did  not  prove  to  be  satisfac¬ 
tory  there  was  no  standard  for  settlement  or  for  cancellation  of  the 
contract.  Many  thousands  of  dollars’  worth  of  coal  are  bought  each 
year  in  this  manner,  but  the  purchasers  would  consider  it  ridiculous 
if  they  were  asked  to  contract  for  a  building  with  no  specifications 
and  simply  on  the  agreement  that  it  should  be  of  a  certain  size  and 
well  constructed.  Neither  would  they  buy  gold,  silver,  or  even  cop¬ 
per  and  iron  ores  on  the  mere  information  that  they  were  mined  at 
certain  localities.  All  products  of  mines  are  now  purchased  to  a 
great  extent  on  the  basis  of  their  value  as  shown  by  chemical  analysis. 
This  is  true  of  coal  in  only  a  small  degree,  but  the  number  of  con¬ 
tracts  made  on  this  basis  is  increasing  every  year. 

The  purchase  of  coal  on  a  specification  is  as  advantageous  as  a 
definite  understanding  regarding  the  quality  and  other  features  of 
any  other  product,  or  of  a  building  operation  or  engineering  project. 
The  man  who  buys  under  a  specification  gets  what  he  pays  for  and 
pays  for  what  he  gets. 

When  the  bidder  is  allowed  to  specify  the  quality  of  the  coal  he 
proposes  to  furnish  as  determined  by  a  chemical  analysis,  he  is  placed 
on  a  strictly  competitive  basis  with  other  bidders.  Such  a  procedure 
broadens  the  field  for  both  the  bidder  and  the  purchaser.  It  makes 
the  bidder’s  proposal,  when  accepted,  a  contract  that  specifies  an 
established  standard  of  quality.  This  furnishes  a  basis  for  settling 
disputes  regarding  the  quality  of  the  coal  delivered  and  the  price  to 
be  paid  if  the  fuel  is  either  better  or  poorer  than  has  been  guaran¬ 
teed.  If  other  coal  must  be  substituted,  as  often  happens,  there  is  a 
standard  for  settlement.  If  the  coal  is  uniformly  poorer  than  the 
standard  as  specified  there  is  a  basis  for  cancellation  of  the  contract. 

The  quality  of  coal  from  a  given  mine  may  vary  from  time  to  time 
through  the  failure  of  the  miners  to  reject  impurities.  Sometimes 
different  beds  of  coal  are  mined  at  the  same  time  and  the  output  is 
mixed.  When  there  is  need  of  further  preparation,  such  as  picking 


VALUE  OF  COAL  AS  A  FUEL. 


7 


slate  and  other  impurities,  or  jigging  or  washing,  a  great  deal  de¬ 
pends  on  the  care  used  in  these  processes.  The  mining  companies  are 
responsible  in  a  large  measure  for  variations  in  the  grade  of  pre¬ 
pared  coal.  The  purchase  of  coal  under  a  contract  on  the  basis  of 
quality  stimulates  the  operator  to  make  a  better  preparation  of  the 
coal  before  it  is  shipped  to  market.  An  example  of  fluctuations  in 
quality  is  furnished  by  the  tables  on  pages  24-26,  which  show  varia¬ 
tions  in  the  ash  and  British  thermal  units  in  coal  delivered  to  some 
of  the  Government  Departments  at  Washington. 

It  evidently  will  not  be  satisfactory  to  either  the  buyer  or  the  seller 
to  establish  a  standard  for  the  coal  unless  this  liability  to  variation 
is  recognized  and  provision  made  for  settlement  when  the  coal  is  bet¬ 
ter  or  poorer  than  the  standard.  Experience  with  any  method  of 
buying  coal  shows  that  it  will  seldom  be  rejected  when  of  poor  qual¬ 
ity,  because  of  the  difficulty,  delay,  and  cost  of  removing  it  from  the 
bins.  The  buyer  is  often  confronted  with  the  alternative  of  burn¬ 
ing  the  coal  delivered  or  going  without  fuel  until  more  can  be  pro¬ 
cured.  Uuless  the  coal  is  very  bad  it  is  usually  expedient  to  use  it 
and  pay  a  smaller  price.  This  is  also  more  favorable  to  the  contrac¬ 
tor,  as  to  remove  the  coal  would  be  costly  and  it  would  not  be  satis¬ 
factory  as  fuel  to  any  other  customer. 

VALUE  OF  COAL  AS  A  FUEL. 

The  purpose  of  burning  coal  under  boilers  is  to  abstract  the  heat 
for  use  in  developing  power,  in  drying  various  materials,  or  in 
warming  buildings.  The  most  valuable  coal,  therefore,  is  that  which 
gives  up  the  most  heat  to  the  boiler  for  a  given  weight  burned. 

Coal  is  now  burned  for  power  purposes  in  gas  producers  and  boiler 
furnaces.  For  coals  and  lignites  high  in  moisture  or  high  in  ash,  the 
gas  producer,  used  in  connection  with  a  gas  engine,  is  best  adapted 
to  develop  power.  But  for  the  generation  of  steam,  which  can  be 
used  for  heating  as  well  as  for  power  purposes,  a  more  convenient 
method  is  to  burn  the  coal  in  a  specially  constructed  furnace  under 
a  boiler. 

The  aim  in  the  purchase  of  coal  for  any  power  plant  should  be 
to  obtain  a  fuel  which  will  produce  a  horsepower  for  the  least  cost, 
all  things  being  considered,  such  as  the  equipment,  the  price  of  coal, 
and  the  cost  of  labor  and  repairs.  Experiments  have  been  made 
which  seem  to  indicate  that  almost  any  fuel  may  be  burned  with 
reasonable  efficiency  in  a  properly  designed  apparatus.  The  recog¬ 
nized  requirements  are  as  follows: 

A  supply  of  fuel  fed  to  the  furnace  as  uniformly  and  continuously 
as  possible. 


8 


THE  PURCHASE  OE  COAL  UNDER  SPECIFICATIONS. 


An  air  supply  slightly  in  excess  of  the  theoretical  amount  required 
for  complete  combustion. 

A  sufficiently  high  temperature  to  ignite  the  gases  which  are  driven 
off  from  the  fuel. 

A  complete  mixture  of  these  gases  with  the  air  supplied  before 
they  reach  a  cooling  surface,  such  as  the  shell  or  tubes  of  a  boiler. 

Some  of  the  factors  which  may  influence  the  commercial  results 
obtained  in  a  boiler  are  the  cost  of  the  coal,  as  determined  by  price 
and  heating  value;  care  in  firing;  design  of  the  furnace  and  boiler 
setting,  size  of  grate,  etc. ;  formation  of  excessive  amounts  of  clinker 
and  ash;  draft  available;  size  of  the  coal  (uniformity  of  size  is 
desirable). 

The  value  of  a  coal  is  indicated  by  the  number  of  heat  units  it 
contains.  This  heating  value  is  expressed  in  terms  of  British  thermal 
units  a  (abbreviated  B.  t.  u.)  per  pound  of  coal,  and  is  determined  by 
means  of  a  special  apparatus  called  a  calorimeter. 

When  coal  is  mined  it  contains  moisture  to  a  greater  or  less  extent. 
It  is  exposed  to  the  air  in  shipment  and  may  either  dry  out  or  be 
drenched  by  rain.  The  moisture  in  the  coal  delivered  is  worthless  to 
the  purchaser,  and  really  costs  him  a  considerable  amount  in  freight 
and  cartage,  and  in  the  loss  of  the  heat*  absorbed  during  its  evapora¬ 
tion  in  the  furnace.  If  all  coal  had  the  same  proportion  of  moisture, 
or  if  the  moisture  in  coal  delivered  by  a  given  dealer  was  constant  in 
amount,  the  purchaser’s  problem,  so  far  as  this  factor  is  concerned, 
would  be  simplified.  Under  present  conditions  the  moisture  is  an 
important  element  in  the  valuation  of  a  ton  of  coal.  It  is  evidently 
necessary  to  consider  the  coal  just  as  it  is  received  in  order  to 
determine  its  value  to  the  consumer,  but  chemical  reports  should  be 
made  on  the  basis  of  both  the  “  dry  coal  ”  and  the  “  coal  as  received.” 
The  dry-coal  basis  is  convenient  for  comparing  several  coals  in  regard 
to  the  relation  of  each  element  to  the  others ;  this  is  important  because 
the  moisture  in  the  same  coal  varies  from  day  to  day.  The  dry-coal  ‘ 
basis  is  also  convenient  for  comparing  the  performance  of  boilers 
when  burning  the  same  or  similar  coals.  Of  several  coals  having  a 
similar  composition,  the  one  which  has  the  least  moisture  and  the 
least  ash  will  generate  the  most  steam  when  burned  under  a  boiler. 

Ash  is  made  up  of  earthy  matter  and  other  impurities  which  will 
not  burn.  In  commercial  coals  its  proportion  may  range  from  4  to 
25  per  cent.  Coals  containing  small  percentages  of  ash  are  most 
valuable,  not  only  because  of  their  correspondingly  higher  heating  ca¬ 
pacity,  but  because  there  is  less  resistance  to  the  free  and  uniform 
distribution  of  air  through  the  bed  of  coal.  The  labor  and  cost  of 
managing  the  fires  and  of  handling  the  ashes  are  also  correspondingly 

“  The  British  thermal  unit  is  the  amount  of  heat  required  to  raise  the  temperature  of 
1  pound  of  water  1°  Fahrenheit. 


VALUE  OF  COAL  AS  A  FUEL. 


9 


less  and  are  items  to  be  considered  in  the  choice  of  a  coal.  With  the 
ordinary  furnace  equipment  there  may  be  a  considerable  loss  of  effi¬ 
ciency  and  capacity  through  a  large  percentage  of  ash.  It  has  been 
found  that  with  some  kinds  of  equipment,  as  the  ash  increases  there  is 
a  decided  drop  in  both  efficiency  and  capacity.  In  some  experiments 
made  to  determine  the  influence  of  excessive  amounts  of  ash,  coal 
containing  as  high  as  40  per  cent  would  generate  no  steam  when  fired 
on  a  chain  grate,  and  therefore  the  efficiency  and  capacity  of  the  plant 
would  be  zero.®  Such  coal  would  not  only  be  worthless,  but  involve 
a  direct  expense,  due  to  the  cost  of  handling  it.  Whether  the  result 
would  be  similar  with  equipment  other  than  a  chain  grate  has  not 
yet  been  determined.  However,  coals  so  high  in  ash  that  they  are 
unsuited  to  boiler  furnaces  can  be  utilized  in  gas  producers. 

The  volatile  part  of  coal  as  shown  by  the  analysis  may  in  some 
coals  be  all  combustible,  but  it  generally  contains  some  inert  matter. 
This  varies  in  different  coal  deposits  and  makes  it  impossible  to  deter¬ 
mine  the  heating  value  of  the  coal  from  the  proximate  analysis  alone. 
Moreover,  not  all  coals  having  the  same  proportion  of  volatile  matter 
behave  alike  in  the  furnace.  It  is  important  to  know  both  the  chem¬ 
ical  composition  and  the  British  thermal  units  in  order  to  determine 
the  value  of  one  coal  as  compared  with  another  for  the  same  purpose. 

Of  two  coals  of  different  character,  the  one  which  contains  the 
higher  proportion  of  fixed  carbon  is  most  easily  burned  so  as  to 
give  the  maximum  efficiency.  However,  if  the  coal  containing  the 
higher  volatile  matter  is  properly  burned  in  a  suitably  designed 
furnace,  it  may  be  made  equally  efficient. 

Sulphur  may  be  present  in  the  free  state,  or,  as  is  more  commonly  the 
case,  in  combination  with  iron  or  other  elements.  Other  impurities 
with  sulphur  often  form  a  clinker  which  shuts  out  the  air  and  in¬ 
creases  the  labor  of  handling  the  furnaces.  It  is  possible,  however, 
to  burn  coals  containing  up  to  5  per  cent  of  sulphur  without  partic¬ 
ular  difficulty  from  clinkers.  A  little  steam  introduced  under  the 
grate  will  relieve  much  of  the  trouble.  Clinker  may  be  due  to  other 
causes  than  sulphur,  as  any  constituents  of  the  ash  which  are  easily 
fusible  may  produce  it.  There  is  need  of  further  investigation  to 
determine  the  influence  of  sulphur  and  the  elements  which  com¬ 
prise  the  ash  on  furnace  fires  and  combustion. 

The  size  of  the  coal  influences  the  capacity  of  any  given  equip¬ 
ment,  owing  to  its  effect  on  the  draft.  With  a  poor  draft  fine  coal 
can  not  be  burned  in  sufficient  quantities  to  maintain  the  rated  capac¬ 
ity.  If  thin  fires  are  resorted  to,  the  efficiency  is  usually  lowered  as  a 
result  of  an  excessive  supply  of  air  through  holes  in  the  fire.  As  a 

“Abbott,  W.  L.,  Some  characteristics  of  coal  as  affecting  performance  with  steam 
boilers,  a  paper  read  before  the  Western  Society  of  Engineers,  Chicago,  Ill. 

24673— Bull.  339—08 - 2 


10 


THE  PURCHASE  OF  COAL  UNDER  SPECIFICATIONS. 


rule,  when  dust  and  very  fine  coal  are  fed  into  the  furnace  they 
either  check  the  flow  of  air  or  are  taken  up  by  the  draft  and  after 
being  only  partly  burned  are  deposited  back  of  the  bridge  wall  or 
pass  up  the  stack,  to  the  annoyance  of  the  people  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  plant.  If  this  dust  is  completely  burned  in  passing  through  the 
furnace  there  is  of  course  no  loss  of  fuel.  It  has  been  found  that  coal 
of  a  uniform  size  is  most  satisfactory,  as  it  does  not  pack  so  closely 
as  a  mixture  of  sizes. 

In  general  it  may  be  said  that  in  any  market  the  coal  obtainable  at 
the  lowest  price  is  the  most  economical,  provided  the  furnace  equip¬ 
ment  is  suitable.  If  the  furnace  is  not  so  designed  as  to  permit  the  use 
of  the  cheaper  coal,  it  should  be  changed. 

The  results  of  tests  tend  to  show  that,  other  conditions  being  equal, 
coals  of  similar  composition  are  of  value  in  proportion  to  the  British 
thermal  units  in.  the  coal  as  received — a  basis  on  which,  indeed,  all 
coals  may  be  valued  approximately.  It  should  be  remembered,  how¬ 
ever,  that  the  value  of  a  coal  for  any  particular  plant  is  influenced  by 
the  fact  that  all  furnaces  are  not  equally  suitable  for  burning  the  many 
grades  of  coal.  Aside  from  this  factor,  coals  may  be  compared  in 
terms  of  the  British  thermal  units  obtained  for  1  cent,  or  on  the  cost 
per  million  heat  units. 

In  the  purchase  of  coal,  then,  attention  should  be  given  to  the 
character  of  the  furnace  equipment  and  the  load;  the  character 
of  coal  best  suited  to  the  plant  conditions;  the  number  of  heat  units 
obtainable  for  a  unit  price;  the  cost  of  handling  the  coal  and  ash; 
and  the  possibility  of  burning  the  coal  without  smoke  or  other  objec¬ 
tionable  features. 

SPECIFICATIONS  IN  USE. 

As  the  result  of  a  letter  from  President  Roosevelt  to  the  national 
advisory  board  on  fuels  and  structural  materials,  calling  attention  to 
the  need  of  a  uniform  and  efficient  basis  for  the  purchase  of  the  Gov¬ 
ernment  fuel  supply,  the  following  specification  was  drafted  by  engi¬ 
neers  in  the  employ  of  the  Government  and  approved  by  this  board  in 
March,  1907 : 


Specifications  and  Proposals  for  Supplying  Coal. 


United  States 


PROPOSAL. 


190 _ 


Sealed  proposals  will  be  received  at  this  office  until  2  o’clock  p.  m., - , 

190 _ ,  for  supplying  coal  to  the  United  States _ building 

at _ _ as  follows : 


SPECIFICATIONS  IN  USE. 


11 


The  quantity  of  coal  stated  above  is  based  upon  the  previous  annual  con¬ 
sumption,  and  proposals  must  be  made  upon  the  basis  of  a  delivery  of  10  per 
cent  more  or  less  than  this  amount,  subject  to  the  actual  requirements  of  the 
service. 

Proposals  must  be  made  on  this  form,  and  include  all  expenses  incident  to 
the  delivery  and  stowage  of  the  coal,  which  must  be  delivered  in  such  quantities 
and  at  such  times  within  the  fiscal  year  ending  June  30,  190__,  as  may  be 
required. 

Proposals  must  be  accompanied  by  a  deposit  (certified  check,  when  practi¬ 
cable,  in  favor  of _ )  amounting  to  10  per  cent  of  the  aggre¬ 

gate  amount  of  the  bid  submitted,  as  a  guaranty  that  it  is  bona  fide.  Deposits 
will  be  returned  to  unsuccessful  bidders  immediately  after  award  has  been 
made,  but  the  deposit  of  the  successful  bidder  will  be  retained  until  after  the 
coal  shall  have  been  delivered  and  final  settlement  made  therefor,  as  security 
for  the  faithful  performance  of  the  terms  of  the  contract,  with  the  understand¬ 
ing  that  the  whole  or  a  part  thereof  may  be  used  to  liquidate  the  value  of  any 
deficiencies  in  quality  or  delivery  that  may  arise  under  the  terms  of  the  con¬ 
tract. 

When  the  amount  of  the  contract  exceeds  $10,000,  a  bond  may  be  executed  in 
the  sum  of  25  per  cent  of  the  contract  amount,  and  in  this  case  the  deposit  or 
certified  check  submitted  with  the  proposal  will  be  returned  after  approval  of 
the  bond. 

The  bids  will  be  opened  in  the  presence  of  the  bidders,  their  representatives, 
or  such  of  them  as  may  attend,  at  the  time  and  place  above  specified. 

In  determining  the  award  of  the  contract,  consideration  will  be  given  to  the 
quality  of  the  coal  offered  by  the  bidder,  as  well  as  the  price  per  ton,  and 
should  it  appear  to  be  to  the  best  interests  of  the  Government  to  award  the 
contract  for  supplying  coal  at  a  price  higher  than  that  named  in  lower  bid  or 
bids  received,  the  award  will  be  so  made. 

The  right  to  reject  any  or  all  bids  and  to  waive  defects  is  expressly  reserved 
by  the  Government. 


DESCRIPTION  OF  COAL  DESIRED.® 

Bids  are  desired  on  coal  described  as  follows : 


Coals  containing  more  than  the  following  percentages,  based  upon  dry  coal, 


will  not  be  considered : 

Ash _ per  cent 

Volatile  matter _  per  cent. 

Sulphur  _  per  cent. 

Dust  and  fine  coal  as  delivered  at  point  of  consump¬ 
tion  h  _  per  cent. 


DELIVERY. 

The  coal  shall  be  delivered  in  such  quantities  and  at  such  times  as  the  Govern¬ 
ment  may  direct. 


a  This  information  will  he  given  by  the  Government  as  may  he  determined  by  boiler 
and  furnace  equipment,  operating  conditions,  and  the  local  market. 

6  All  coal  which  will  pass  through  a  |-inch  round-hole  screen. 


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12 


THE  PURCHASE  OF  COAL  UNDER  SPECIFICATIONS. 


In  this  connection  it  may  be  stated  that  all  the  available  storage  capacity  of 
the  coal  bunkers  will  be  placed  at  the  disposal  of  the  contractor  to  facilitate 
delivery  of  coal  under  favorable  conditions. 

After  verbal  or  written  notice  has  been  given  to  deliver  coal  under  this  con¬ 
tract,  a  further  notice  may  be  served  in  writing  upon  the  contractor  to  make 
delivery  of  the  coal  so  ordered  within  twenty-four  hours  after  receipt  of  said 
second  notice. 

Should  the  contractor,  for  any  reason,  fail  to  comply  with  the  second  request, 
the  Government  will  be  at  liberty  to  buy  coal  in  the  open  market,  and  to  charge 
against  the  contractor  any  excess  in  price  of  coal  so  purchased  over  the  contract 
price. 

SAMPLING. 

Samples  of  the  coal  delivered  will  be  taken  by  a  representative  of  the  Govern¬ 
ment. 

In  all  cases  where  it  is  practicable,  the  coal  will  be  ..sampled -at  the  time  it  is 
being  delivered  to  the  building.  In  case  of  small  deliveries,  it  may  be  necessary 
to  take  these  samples  from  the  yards  or  bins.  The  sample  taken  will  in  no  case 
be  less  than  the  total  of  100  pounds,  to  be  selected  proportionally  from  the 
lumps  and  fine  coal,  in  order  that  it  will  in  every  respect  truly  represent  the 
quantity  of  coal  under  consideration. 

In  order  to  minimize  the  loss  in  the  original  moisture  content  the  gross  sam¬ 
ple  will  be  pulverized  as  rapidly  as  possible  until  none  of  the  fragments  exceed 
one-half  inch  in  diameter.  The  fine  coal  will  then  be  mixed  thoroughly  and 
divided  into  four  equal  parts.  Opposite  quarters  will  be  thrown  out,  and  the 
remaining  portions  thoroughly  mixed  and  again  quartered,  throwing  out  op¬ 
posite  quarters  as  before.  This  process  will  be  continued  as  rapidly  as  possible 
until  the  final  sample  is  reduced  to  such  amount  that  all  of  the  final  sample 
thus  obtained  will  be  contained  in  the  shipping  can  or  jar  and  sealed  air-tight. 

The  sample  will  then  be  forwarded  to _ : _ _ _ 

If  desired  by  the  coal  contractor,  permission  will  be  given  to  him,  or  his  rep¬ 
resentative,  to  be  present  and  witness  the  quartering  and  preparation  of  the 
final  sample  to  be  forwarded  to  the  Government  laboratories. 

Immediately  on  receipt  of  the  sample,  it  will  be  analyzed  and  tested  by  the 
Government,  following  the  method  adopted  by  the  American  Chemical  Society, 
and  using  a  bomb  calorimeter.  A  copy  of  the  result  will  be  mailed  to  the  con¬ 
tractor  upon  the  completion  thereof. 

CAUSES  FOR  REJECTION. 

A  contract  entered  into  under  the  terms  of  this  specification  shall  not  be 
binding  if,  as  the  result  of  a  practical  service  test  of  reasonable  duration,  the 
coal  fails  to  give  satisfactory  results  owing  to  excessive  clinkering  or  to  a  pro¬ 
hibitive  amount  of  smoke. 

It  is  understood  that  the  coal  delivered  during  the  year  will  be  of  the  same 
character  as  that  specified  by  the  contractor.  It  should,  therefore,  be  supplied, 
as  nearly  as  possible,  from  the  same  mine  or  group  of  mines. 

Coal  containing  percentages  of  volatile  matter,  sulphur,  and  dust  higher  than 
the  limits  indicated  on  page  2  and  coal  containing  a  percentage  of  ash  in  excess 
of  the  maximum  limits  indicated  in  the  following  table  will  be  subject  to  rejec¬ 
tion. 

In  the  case  of  coal  which  has  been  delivered  and  used  for  trial,  or  which  has 
been  consumed  or  remains  on  the  premises  at  the  time  of  the  determination  of 


SPECIFICATIONS  IN  USE. 


13 


its  quality,  payment  will  be  made  therefor  at  a  reduced  price,  computed  under 
the  terms  of  this  specification. 

Occasional  deliveries  containing  ash  up  to  the  percentage  indicated  in  the 
column  of  “  Maximum  limits  for  ash,”  on  page  4,  may  be  accepted.  Frequept 
or  continued  failure  to  maintain  the  standard  established  by  the  contractor, 
however,  will  be  considered  sufficient  cause  for  cancellation  of  the  contract.  ' 

PRICE  AND  PAYMENT.0 

Payment  will  be  made  on  the  basis  of  the  price  named  in  the  proposal  for 
the  coal  specified  therein,  corrected  for  A^ariations  in  heating  value  and  ash, 
as  shown  by  analysis,  above  and  beloAA7-  the  standard  established  by  contractor 
in  this  proposal.  For  example,  if  the  coal  contains  2  per  cent,  more  or  less, 
British  thermal  units  than  the  established  standard,  the  price  Avill  be  increased 
or  decreased  2  per  cent  accordingly. 

The  price  Avill  also  be  further  corrected  for  the  percentages  of  ash.  For  all 
coal  which  by  analysis  contains  less  ash  than  that  established  in  this  proposal 
a  premium  of  1  cent  per  ton  for  each  whole  per  cent  less  ash  Avill  be  paid. 
An  increase  in  the  ash  content  of  2  per  cent  over  the  standard  established  by 
contractor  Avill  be  tolerated  without  exacting  a  penalty  for  the  excess  of  ash. 
When  such  excess  exceeds  2  per  cent  above  the  standard  established,  deduc¬ 
tions  will  be  made  from  price  paid  per  ton  in  accordance  Avith  following  table : 


Ash  as  established  in 
proposal  (per  cent). 

No  de¬ 
duction 
for  lim¬ 
its  be¬ 
low. 

Cents  per  ton  to  be  deducted. 

Maxi¬ 

mum 

limits 

for 

ash. 

2 

4 

7 

12 

18 

25 

35 

Percentages  of  ash  in  dry  coal. 

5 _ 

.  *  7 

7-  8 

8-  9 

’  9-10 

10-11 

11-12 

12.13 

13-14 

12 

6 _  _  — 

a- 

8-  9 

9-10 

10-11 

11-12 

12-13 

13-14 

14 — 15 

13 

7 _ _ _ 

9 

9-10 

10-11 

11-12 

12-13 

13-14 

14-15 

15-16 

14 

8  _ — . _ 

10 

10-11 

11-12 

12-13 

13-14 

14-15 

15-16 

16-17 

14 

9 _  _ 

11 

11-12 

12-13 

13-14 

14-15 

15-16 

16-17 

17-18 

15 

10  __  _  ___ 

12 

12-13 

13-14 

14rT5 

15-16 

16-17 

17-18 

16 

'11 

13 

13-14 

14-15 

15-16 

16-17 

17-18 

18-19 

16 

19 

14 

14715 

15-16 

16-17 

17-18 

18-19 

19-20 

17 

1.1 

15 

15-16 

16-17 

17-18 

18-19 

19-20 

20-21 

18 

14 —  _  _  _  _ _ 

16 

16-17 

17-18 

18-19 

19-20 

20-21 

21-22 

19 

15-_  _  _ _  _ _ 

17 

17-18 

18-19 

19-20 

20-21 

21-22 

19 

16 _  _ 

18 

18-19 

19-20 

20-21 

21-22 

22-23 

20 

17 

19 

19-20 

20-21 

21-22 

22-23 

21 

18  __  _ 

20 

20-21 

21-22 

22-23 

22 

l 

Proposals  to  receive  consideration  must  be  submitted  upon  this  form  and 
contain  all  of  the  information  requested. 


.,  190 __ 


The  undersigned  hereby  agree  to  furnish  to  the  U.  S _ 

building  at _ ,  the  coal  described,  in  tons  of  2,240  pounds 


“  The  economic  value  of  a,  fuel  is  affected  by  the  actual  amount  of  combustible  matter  it  con¬ 
tains,  as  determined  by  its  heating  value  shown  in  Eritish  thermal  units  per  pound  of  fuel,  and 
also  by  other  factors,  among  which  is  its  ash  content.  The  ash  content  not  only  lowers  the 
heating  value  and  decreases  the  capacity  of  the  furnace,  but  also  materially  increases  the  cost  of 
handling  the  coal,  the  labor  of  firing,  and  the  cost  of  the  removal  of  ashes,  etc. 


14 


THE  PURCHASE  OF  COAL  UNDER  SPECIFICATIONS. 


each  and  in  quantity  10  per  cent  more  or  less  than  that  stated  on  page  1,  as 
may  be  required  during  the  fiscal  year  ending  June  30,  190 _ ,  in  strict  accord¬ 

ance  with  this  specification ;  the  coal  to  be  delivered  in  such  quantities  and  at 
such  times  as  the  Government  may  direct. 


Item  No _ 

Item  No _ 

Item  No _ 

Description. 

Commercial  name 

Name  of  mine 

“Location  of  mine 

Name  of  coal  bed  _  _ _  _  _  . 

Size  of  coal  (if  coal  is  screened) : 

Coal  to  pass  through  openings - 

Coal  to  pass  over  openings _ 

Data  to  establish  a  basis  for  payment. 

Per  cent  of  ash  in  dry  coal  (method  of 
American  Chemical  Society). 

British  thermal  units  in  coal  as  delivered- 

-_  inches  1  round. 

[square. 
— inches  jbar. 

_ inches)  round. 

[•square. 

_ —inches  Jbar. 

.—inches]  round. 

[■square. 
— inchesjbar. 

Price  per  ton  (2,240  pounds)-  _ 

It  is  important  that  the  above  information  does  not  establish  a  higher  standard  than 
can  be  actually  maintained  under  the  terms  of  the  contract ;  and  in  this  connection  it 
should  be  noted  that  the  small  samples  taken  from  the  mine  are  invariably  of  higher 
quality  than  the  coal  actually  delivered  therefrom.  It  is  evident,  therefore,  that  it  will 
be  to  the  best  interests  of  the  contractor  to  furnish  a  correct  description  with  average 
values  of  the  coal  offered,  as  a  failure  to  maintain  the  standard  established  by  contractor 
will  result  in  deductions  from  the  contract  price,  and  may  cause  a  cancellation  of  the  con¬ 
tract,  while  deliveries  of  a  coal  of  higher  grade  than  quoted  will  be  paid  for  at  an  in¬ 
creased  price. 


Signature _ 

Address. 


Name  of  corporation - 

Name  of  president _ 

Name  of  secretary _ 

Under  wbat  law  (State)  corporation  is  organized. 


As  will  be  seen  from  the  foregoing  specification,  the  bidder  is  not 
required  to  submit  a  sample  of  his  coal,  but  is  expected  to  name  a 
standard  of  British  thermal  units  in  the  coal  as  it  is  to  be  delivered. 
This  value  is  made  the  basis  for  purchase,  because  a  correction  is  thus 
made  for  the  amount  of  moisture  in  the  coal.  It  should  be  noted  that 
this  value  will  in  all  cases  be  lower  than  the  British  thermal  units  in 
the  dry  coal,  which  is  usually  given  in  connection  with  the  coal  anal¬ 
ysis.  The  percentage  of  ash  is  also  specified,  as  it  is  a  factor  in  the 
successful  burning  of  the  coal  on  the  grate  and  as  it  involves  an  ex¬ 
pense  for  removal  from  the  premises. 

If  the  dealer  is  not  fairly  familiar  with  the  value  of  his  coal,  it 
may  then  be  arranged  to  have  him  submit  a  properly  selected  sample 
with  his  bid,  this  sample  to  be  analyzed  by  the  Government  and  the 
results  used  as  a  standard  in  the  contract.  It  is  preferred,  however, 
that  the  bidder  use  his  own  values. 

The  following  circular  letter  was  issued  by  the  Treasury  Depart¬ 
ment  in  connection  with  the  Government  specification,  for  the  infor¬ 
mation  of  dealers  desiring  to  bid  on  coals  for  public  buildings,  such 


SPECIFICATIONS  IN  USE. 


15 


as  mints,  custom-houses,  and  post-offices  located  in  all  parts  of  the 
United  States : 

Treasury  Department,  Office  of  the  Secretary, 

Washington,  March  27,  1907. 

Sir  :  The  accompanying  specifications  for  coal  are  intended  to  give  a  clear 
description  of  the  coal  desired  by  the  Government,  and  to  secure  a  definite  state¬ 
ment  of  the  quality  of  coal  offered  by  the  bidder,  with  a  view  to  using  such 
statement  as  a  basis  for  payment  in  connection  with  the  stated  price  per  ton. 
The  plan  is  not  new  in  its  essential  features,  as  it  is  an  extension  of  a  system 
already  in  force  in  the  larger  United  States  public  buildings,  and  is  similar  to 
that  employed  by  a  number  of  private  consumers. 

What  is  desired  is  not  necessarily  the  cheapest  or  the  highest  grade  of  coal 
per  se,  but  the  coal  which  will  insure  the  greatest  net  economy  in  plant  opera¬ 
tion.  In  view  of  these  facts  the  description  of  the  coal  inserted  by  the  Govern¬ 
ment  on  page  2  of  the  accompanying  specifications  will  receive  careful  consid¬ 
eration  as  the  boiler  and  furnace  conditions  require.  It  is  not  expected  that  all 
deliveries  will  be  absolutely  uniform  or  agree  exactly  with  the  standard  estab¬ 
lished  by  the  contractor,  but  it  is  necessary  that  all  deliveries  shall  be  within 
the  limits  set  by  the  Government. 

The  limits  are  wide  enough  to  permit  the  use  of  the  output  of  any  mine  or 
group  of  mines  proyided  proper  care  is  exercised  in  mining  and  picking  out 
slate,  bone,  etc.  With  these  points  in  mind  it  is  only  necessary  for  the  bidder  to 
select  coal  for  each  proposal  which  will  meet  the  description  given  and  permit 
deliveries  within  the  limits  set.  The  standard  established  by  the  contractor 
should  be'  such  as  to  require  the  least  correction  applying  to  deliveries  for 
variation  in  heat  units  and  ash  from  values  established. 

It  is  believed  that  the  enforcement  of  the  provisions  of  the  specifications  will 
operate  equitably  both  with  respect  to  the  Government  and  to  the  contractor, 
ancl  will  guarantee  adequate  protection  to  each.  Many  coal  dealers  have  already 
signified  their  willingness  to  furnish  coal  on  this  basis,  and  have  commended  as 
well  as  indorsed  the  method. 

The  application  of  this  system  will  not  only  enable  the  award  of  a  contract  to 
be  made  in  an  equitable  manner,  but  will  also  remove  many  of  the  usual  causes 
for  dispute  as  to  the  character  and  quality  of  the  coal  subsequently  delivered, 
and  provide  a  satisfactory  basis  for  the  correction  of  payments  for  differences 
in  quality  in  favor  of  the  party  in  whose  interest  it  is  due. 

The  system  of  sampling,  analyzing,  and  testing  coal  delivered  under  the 
Government  contracts  will  be  under  the  supervision  of  the  fuel-testing  division 
of  the  Geological  Survey,  in  order  to  insure  reliability  and  impartiality. 

The  heating  value  expressed  in  British  thermal  units  of  coal  containing 
approximately  the  same  percentage  of  ash  is  essentially  a  direct  measure  of  the 
actual  value  to  the  purchaser,  and  for  this  reason  the  specifications  provide  for 
an  adjustment  of  payment  in  direct  proportion  to  the  variation  in  heat  units 
in  the  coal  as  received.  As  the  coal  is  weighed  when  delivered  and  the  pay¬ 
ments  are  based  also  upon  the  price  per  ton,  it  is  necessary  to  determine  the 
heating  value  of  the  coal  in  the  condition  in  which  it  is  received,  containing 
whatever  moisture  may  be  present  at  the  time. 

A  further  correction  in  payment  will  be  made  for  variation  of  the  ash  in  dry 
coal  in  order  to  take  account  of  the  cost  of  handling  additional  fuel  and  ash  and 
its  effect  on  the  capacity  of  the  boiler  and  furnace. 

Respectfully,  A.  F.  Statter, 

Assistant  Secretary. 


16 


THE  PURCHASE  OF  COAL  UNDER  SPECIFICATIONS. 


On  account  of  lack  of  information  among  the  dealers  in  anthracite 
coal  as  to  the  heating  value  of  the  several  sizes  and  kinds  used  by  the 
Government,  a  number  of  contracts  were  let  on  the  basis  of  the  ash 
in  dry  coal.  For  the  city  of  Washington  these  were  worded  in  the 
same  way  as  the  regular  specification,  except  the  section  relating  to 
price  and  payment,  which  was  as  follows : 

PRICE  AND  PAYMENT. 

Payment  will  be  made  on  the  basis  of  the  price  named  in  the  proposal  for  the 
coal  specified,  corrected  for  variations  in  ash  as  shown  by  analysis,  above  and 
below  the  standard  established  by  the  contractor. 

For  an  increase  or  decrease  up  to  2  per  cent  in  the  ash  content  above  or  be¬ 
low  the  standard  no  correction  will  be  made  in  the  price.  When  the  variation 
exceeds  this  allowance  above  or  below  the  standard,  corrections  will  be  made  in 
the  price  as  follows : 

For  furnace,  egg,  stove,  and  chestnut  sizes  of  coal,  variations  from  the  stand¬ 
ard  percentage  of  ash  exceeding  2  and  less  than  2.5  above  and  below  will  result 
in  the  deduction  or  addition  of  15  cents  per  ton.  For  each  additional  one-half  of 
1  per  cent,  or  fraction  thereof,  3  cents  more  per  ton  will  be  deducted  or  added. 

For  pea  coal,  variations  from  the  standard  percentage  of  ash  exceeding  2  and 
less  than  2.5  above  and  below  will  result  in  the  deduction  or  addition  of  10 
cents  per  ton.  For  each  additional  one-half  of  1  per  cent,  or  fraction  thereof,  2i 
cents  more  per  ton  will  be  deducted  or  added. 

For  buckwheat  and  screenings,  variations  from  the  standard  percentage  of 
ash  exceeding  2  and  less  than  2.5  above  and  below  will  result  in  the  deduction 
or  addition  of  8  cents  per  ton.  For  each  additional  one-half  of  1  per  cent,  or 
fraction  thereof,  2  cents  more  per  ton  will  be  deducted  or  added. 

The  following  specification  is  used  by  a  few  firms  in  Baltimore, 
Mel.: 

Specifications  and  Information  concerning  Supply  of  Coal  for _ 

Caution. — Bidders  are  directed  to  familiarize  themselves  with  the  storage 
facilities  and  local  conditions,  affecting  the  deliveries  of  coal,  existing  at  the 
power  house. 

Method  of  determining  quantity  and  quality. — Weights  are  subject  to  check 
either  by  measurement  or  by  company  scales.  Any  deficiency  will  be  deducted 
from  and  any  excess  added  to  the  bill. 

Sampling  will  be  done  by  a  representative  of  the  company  and  contractor 
may  have  a  representative  present. 

Sample  will  be  taken  from  each  delivery  and  kept  in  hermetically  sealed  jars. 

Detail  of  specifications. — Coal  will  be  setnibituminous  and  run-of-mine.  It 
shall  be  dry,  well  picked,  and  free  from  excessive  amounts  of  slate,  pyrites,  and 
dirt  of  any  kind  and  shall  have  the  following  composition :  Moisture,  not  over  1 
per  cent ;  volatile  carbon,  not  over  20  per  cent ;  ash,  not  over  7  per  cent ;  sulphur, 
not  over  1  per  cent. 

ADJUSTMENTS. 

Additions. — If  the  coal  has  less  than  1  per  cent  moisture,  the  deficit  per  cent 
less  than  1  per  cent  will  be  added  to  the  bill.  If  the  coal  has  less  than  20  per 
cent  volatile  carbon,  the  deficit  per  cent  less  than  20  per  cent  will  be  multi¬ 
plied  by  2  and  added  to  the  bill.  If  the  coal  has  less  than  7  per  cent  ash,  the 
deficit  per  cent  less  than  7  per  cent  will  be  multiplied  by  3  and  added  to  the  bill. 


SPECIFICATIONS  IN  USE. 


17 


Deductions. — If  the  coal  contains  more  than  1  per  cent  moisture,  the  excess 
per  cent  above  1  per  cent  will  be  deducted  from  the  bill.  If  the  coal  contains 
more  than  20  per  cent  volatile  carbon,  the  excess  per  cent  above  20  per  cent 
will  be  multiplied  by  2  and  deducted  from  the  bill.  If  the  coal  contains  more 
than  7  per  cent  ash,  the  excess  per  cent  above  7  per  cent  will  be  multiplied  by  3 
and  deducted  from  the  bill. 

The  following  are  the  essential  features  of  the  contracts  on  which 
a  Chicago  company  is  said  to  purchase  and  inspect  nearly  1,000,000 
tons  of  coal  for  its  clients  in  Chicago,  Indianapolis,  Minneapolis,  St. 
Louis,  and  other  cities : 

I.  The  company  agrees  to  furnish  and  deliver  to  the  consumer _ 

_ at  such  times  and  in  such  quantities  as  ordered  by  the  consumer  for 

consumption  at  said  premises  during  the  term  hereof,  at  the  consumer's  option, 
either  or  all  of  the  kinds  of  coal  described  below ;  said  coals  to  average  the  . 
following  assays : 


Kind  of  coal  _ 

Of  size  passing  through  screen  having  circular  perfora¬ 
tions  in  diameter  _ .  _ _ _ 

inches 

_ inches 

_ inches 

- inches 

_ inches 

Of  size  passing  over  a  screen  having  circular  perforations 
in  diameter  _  _ _  _  __  _  _ 

inches 

Per  cent  of  moisture  in  coal  as  delivered _  _ __ 

Per  cent  of  ash  in  coal  as  delivered  _ _  _ 

British  thermal  units  ner  pound  of  dry  coal 

Prom  following  county 

From  following  State  _  _  _  _  _  _ _  __ 

Coal  of  the  above  respective  descriptions  and  specified  assays  (not  average 
assays)  to  be  hereinafter  known  as  the  contract  grade  of  the  respective  kinds. 

II.  The  consumer  agrees  to  purchase  from  the  company  all  the  coal  re¬ 
quired  for  consumption  at  said  premises  during  the  term  of  said  contract, 
except  as  set  forth  in  Paragraph  III  below,  and  to  pay  the  company  for  each 
ton  of  2,000  pounds  avoirdupois  of  coal  delivered  and  accepted  in  accordance 
with  all  the  terms  of  this  contract  at  the  following  contract  rate  per  ton  for 
coal  of  each  respective  contract  grade,  at  which  rates  the  company  will  deliver 
the  following  respective  numbers  of  British  thermal  units  for  1  cent,  the  con¬ 
tract  guaranty : 


Kind  of  coal. 


Contract 
rate  per 
ton. 


Contract  guaranty. 


equal  to _ net  B.  t.  u.  for  1  cent. 

equal  to - net  B.  t.  u.  for  1  cent. 

equal  to - net  B.  t.  u.  for  1  cent. 


Said  net  British  thermal  units  for  1  cent  being  in  each  case  determined  as 
follows :  Multiply  the  number  of  British  thermal  units  per  pound  of  dry  coal 
by  the  per  cent  of  moisture  (expressed  in  decimals),  subtract  the  product  so 
found  from  the  number  of  British  thermal  units  per  pound  of  dry  coal,  mul¬ 
tiply  the  remainder  by  2,000,  and  divide  this  product  by  the  contract  rate  per 
ton  (expressed  in  cents)  plus  one-half  of  the  ash  percentage  (expressed  as 
cents). 

III.  It  is  provided  that  the  consumer  may  purchase  for  consumption  at  said 
premises  coal  other  than,  herein  contracted  for,  for  test  purposes,  it  being  un- 


18 


THE  PURCHASE  OF  COAL  UNDER  SPECIFICATIONS. 


derstood  that  the  total  of  such  coal  so  purchased  shall  not  exceed  5  per  cent  of 
the  total  consumption  during  the  term  of  this  contract. 

IV.  It  is  understood  that  the  company  may  deliver  coal  hereunder  containing 
as  high  as  3  per  cent  more  ash  and  as  high  as  3  per  cent  more  moisture  and  as 
low  as  500  fewer  British  thermal  units  per  pound  dry  than  specified  above  for 
contract  grades. 

V.  Should  any  coal  delivered  hereunder  contain  more  than  the  per  cent  of 
ash  or  moisture  or  fewer  than  the  number  of  British  thermal  units  per  pound 
dry  allowed  under  Paragraph  IV  hereof,  the  consumer  may,  at  its  option, 
either  accept  or  reject  same. 

VI.  All  coal  accepted  hereunder  shall  be  paid  for  monthly  at  a  price  per 
ton  determined  by  taking  the  average,  of  the  delivered  values  obtained  from  the 
analyses  of  all  the  samples  taken  during  that  month,  said  delivered  value 
in  each  case  being  obtained  as  follows :  Multiply  the  number  of  British  ther¬ 
mal  units  delivered  per  pound  of  dry  coal  by  the  per  cent  of  moisture  delivered 
(expressed  in  decimals),  subtract  the  product  so  found  from  the  number  of 
British  thermal  units  delivered  per  pound  of  dry  coal,  multiply  the  remainder 
by  2,000,  divide  this  product  by  the  contract  guaranty,  and  from  this  quotient 
(expressed  as  dollars  and  cents)  subtract  one-half  of  the  ash  percentage  de¬ 
livered  (Expressed  as  cents). 

In  Cleveland,  Ohio,  coal  is  purchased  for  the  waterworks  on  the 
basis  of  its  heating  value.  The  standard  agreed  upon  is  13,624  Brit¬ 
ish  thermal  units  and  was  established  as  the  result  of  analysis  and 
tests  made  on  a  sample  furnished  by  the  dealer. 

The  following  are  the  essential  features  of  the  specifications  used 
by  the  Interborough  Rapid  Transit  Company  of  New  York  in  pur¬ 
chasing  about  30,000  tons  of  coal  each  month  for  use  in  its  plants, 
which  are  among  the  largest  in  the  United  States : 

Preliminary  Specifications  for  Bituminous  Coal  for  the  Interborough 
Rapid  Transit  Company. 

Coal  must  be  a  good  steam,  caking,  run-of-mine,  bituminous  coal  free  from 
all  dirt  and  excessive  dust,  a  dry  sample  of  which  will  approximate  the  com¬ 
pany’s  standard  in  heat  value  and  analysis,  as  follows :  Carbon,  71 ;  volatile 
matter,  20 ;  ash,  9 ;  British  thermal  units,  14,100 ;  sulphur,  1.50. 

A  small  quantity  of  coal  will  be  taken  from  each  weighing  hopper  just  before 
the  hopper  is  dumped  while  the  lighter  is  being  unloaded.  These  quantities 
will  be  thrown  into  a  receptacle  provided  for  the  purpose,  and  when  the  lighter 
is  empty  the  contents  of  the  receptacle  will  be  thoroughly  mixed,  and  a  sam¬ 
ple  of  this  mixture  will  be  taken  for  chemical  analysis.  This  average  sample 
of  coal  will  be  labeled  and  held  for  one  week  after  the  unloading  of  the  lighter. 
The  sample  taken  from  the  mixture  for  test  will  be  analyzed  as  soon  as  possi¬ 
ble  after  being  taken.  No  other  sample  will  be  recognized. 

Tests  of  sample  taken  from  average  sample  will  be  made  by  the  company’s 
chemist  under  the  supervision  of  the  superintendent.  Should  the  contractor 
question  the  results  of  the  company’s  test  (a  copy  of  which  will  be  mailed  to 
him),  the  company  will,  if  requested  by  the  contractor  within  three  days  after 
copy  of  test  has  been  mailed  to  him,  forward  sufficient  quantity  of  the  average 
sample  taken  from  each  weighing  hopper  to  any  laboratory  in  the  city  of  New 
York  which  may  be  agreed  upon  by  the  superintendent  and  the  contractor,  and 
have  said  sample  analyzed  by  it,  and  the  results  obtained  from  this  second  test 
will  be  considered  as  final  and  conclusive.  In  case  the  disputed  values,  as  ob- 


SPECIFICATIONS  IN  USE. 


19 


tained  in  the  company’s  test,  shall  be  found  by  the  second  test  to  be  2  per  cent 
or  less  in  error,  then  the  cost  of  said  second  test  shall  be  borne  by  the  con¬ 
tractor;  but  if  the  disputed  values  shall  be  found  to  be  more  than  2  per  cent 
in  error,  then  the  cost  of  said  second  test  shall  be  borne  by  the  company. 

Should  there  be  no  question  raised  by  the  contractor  within  the  three  days 
specified,  as  to  the  values  of  the  first  analysis,  the  average  sample  of  coal  will 
be  destroyed  at  the  end  of  seven  days  from  date  of  discharge  of  coal  from 
lighter.  Should  a  second  test  be  made  of  coal  taken  from  any  lighter  as  herein 
provided,  then  any  penalties  to  be  made  as  set  forth  in  paragraph  under 
“  Penalties  ”  will  be  based  on  the  results  as  obtained  from  the  second  test. 

The  price  to  be  paid  by  the  company  per  ton  per  lighter  of  coal  will  be  based 
on  a  table  of  heat  values  for  excess  or  deficiency  of  its  standard,  but  subject 
to  deductions  as  given  in  the  section  under  “  Penalized  coal,”  including  excess 
of  ash,  volatile  matter,  sulphur,  or  dust,  or  less  than  the  minimum  amount  re¬ 
quired  to  be  contained  in  any  lighter,  for  coal  which  showfa  results  less  than 
the  company’s  standard. 

Premiums  or  deductions  are  based  on  a  rate  of  1  cent  per  ton  for  a 
variation  of  50  British  thermal  units  per  pound  of  coal,  as  indicated 
in  a  table  a  few  items  of  which  are  given  below : 

Table  for  B.  t.  u.  values. 

For  coal  in  any  lighter  which  is  found  by  test  to  contain,  per  pound  of  dry 

coal,  from — 

15,501  and  above - 28  cents  per  ton  above  standard. 

15.101  to  15,150,  both  inclusive - 20  cents  per  ton  above  standard. 

14.601  to  14,650,  both  inclusive - 10  cents  per  ton  above  standard. 

14.101  to  14,150,  both  inclusive _ Standard. 

13.601  to  13,650,  both  inclusive _ 10  cents  per  ton  below  standard. 

13.101  to  13,150,  both  inclusive - 20  cents  per  ton  below  standard. 

12.101  to  12,150,  both  inclusive _ 40  cents  per  ton  below  standard. 

No  lighter  of  coal  wiH  be  accepted  which,  by  trial,  in  the  judgment  of  the 

superintendent,  contains  an  excessive  amount  of  dry  coal  dust.  The  decision  of 
the  superintendent  will  be  final  in  this  respect.  Coal  taken  from  such  lighter 
for  trial  will  be  subject  to  the  special  deduction  set  forth  under  “  Penalized 
coal,”  but  paid  for  in  all  other  respects  as  herein  provided. 

Coal  which  is  shown  by  analysis  to  contain  less  than  20  per  cent  of  volatile 
matter,  9  per  cent  of  ash,  or  1.50  per  cent  of  sulphur,  will  be  accepted  without 
a  deduction  from  the  bidder’s  price,  plus  or  minus  an  amount  for  excess  of 
deficiency  of  British  thermal  unit  value,  as  herein  provided.  Where  the 
analysis  gives  amounts  for  any  or  all  elements  in  excess  of  these  quantities, 
deductions  will  be  made  from  the  bidder’s  price  in  accordance  with  the  tables 
of  values  of  volatile  matter,  ash,  and  sulphur  below  given,  plus  or  minus  the 
amount  for  excess  or  deficiency  of  the  standard  British  thermal  unit  value,  in 
addition  to  any  other  deductions  which  may  be  made  as  herein  provided. 

Table  of  deductions  for  volatile  matter. 

For  coal  in  any  lighter  which  is  found  by  test  to  contain,  per  pound  of  dry 


coal — 

Over  20  per  cent  and  less  than  21  per  cent _ 2  cents  per  ton. 

******* 

Over  22.5  per  cent  and  less  than  23  per  cent _ 12  cents  per  ton. 

*  *  *  *  *  *  * 

24  per  cent  and  over _ 18  cents  per  ton. 


20 


THE  PURCHASE  OF  COAL  UNDER  SPECIFICATIONS. 


This  table  is  made  for  a  difference  of  each  one-half  of  1  per  cent  and  the 
deductions  are  at  the  rate  of  4  cents  for  each  1  per  cent  of  volatile  matter. 

Table  of  deductions  for  ash. 

For  coal  in  any  lighter  which  is  found  by  test  to  contain,  per  pound  of  dry 


coal — 

Over  9  per  cent  and  less  than  9.5  per  cent _ 2  cents  per  ton. 

******* 

Over  11.5  per  cent  and  less  than  12 _ 12  cents  per  ton. 

*  *  *  *  *  *  * 

*  13.5  per  cent  and  over _ 23  cents  per  ton. 


This  table  is  made  for  each  difference  of  one-half  of  1  per  cent  and  at  the 
rate  of  4  cents  for  each  1  per  cent  increase  in  the  ash. 

Table  of  deductions  for  sulphur. 

For  coal  in  any  lighter  which  is  found  by  test  to  contain,  per  pound  of  dry 


coal — 

Over  1.50  per  cent  and  less  than  1.75  per  cent _ 6  cents  per  ton. 

******* 

Over  2  per  cent  and  less  than  2.25  per  cent _ * _ 10  cents  per  ton. 

$  *  *  * 

2.50  and  over _ 20  cents  per  ton. 


This  table  is  made  out  for  each  difference  of  one-fourth  of  1  per  cent  and  at 
a  diminishing  rate. 

Should  any  lighter  of  coal  delivered  at  the  company’s  docks  contain  less  than 
700  tons,  a  deduction  of  7  cents  per  ton  will  be  made  from  the  price  as  deter¬ 
mined  by  the  British  thermal  unit  value  and  analysis,  in  addition  to  any  other 
penalty  provided  for  herein.  Should  any  lighter  of  coal  delivered  at  the  com¬ 
pany’s  docks  be  rejected  by  the  superintendent  on  account  of  excessive  amount 
of  coal  dust,  then  a  deduction  of  25  cents  per  ton  will  be  made  from  the  price 
as  determined  by  the  British  thermal  unit  value  and  analysis,  for  the  coal 
taken  from  said  lighter,  in  addition  to  any  other  penalty  which  may  be  made 
as  herein  provided.  Should  any  lighter  of  coal  be  delivered  in  other  than  self¬ 
trimming  lighters  as  herein  provided,  a  deduction  of  7  cents  per  ton  will  be 
made  from  the  price  as  determined  by  the  British  thermal  unit  value  and  analy¬ 
sis,  exclusive  of  any  other  penalty  which  may  be  made  as  herein  provided. 

The  contractor’s  bill  of  lading  will  be  checked  by  the  company’s  scales. 
Should  there  be  a  deficiency  of  1  per  cent  or  more  between  the  bill  of  lading 
and  the  company’s  weights,  then  the  company’s  weights  will  be  taken  as 
correct. 

When  the  contractor  has  been  notified  by  the  company  to  deliver  coal  under 
this  contract,  a  further  notice  may  be  given  requiring  the  contractor  to  make 
delivery  of  the  coal  so  ordered  within  tw7elve  hours  after  the  receipt  of  said 
second  notice.  Should  the  contractor,  for  any  reason,  fail  to  deliver  the  coal 
so  ordered  within  twelve  hours  after  the  receipt  of  said  second  notice  and  in 
accordance  with  the  requirements  therein  as  to  place  of  delivery,  the  company 
shall  be  at  liberty  to  buy  coal  in  the  open  market,  and  the  contractor  will  make 
good  to  the  company  any  difference  there  may  be  between  the  price  paid  by 
the  company  for  said  coal  in  open  market  and  the  price  the  company  would 
have  paid  to  the  contractor  had  the  coal  been  delivered  by  it  in  accordance  with 


METHODS  OF  SAMPLING  AND  TESTING. 


21 


the  requirements  of  said  notices  from  the  company,  or  said  difference  may  be 
deducted  from  any  money  then  due  or  thereafter  to  become  due  to  the  con¬ 
tractor  under  the  contract  to  be  entered  into. 

METHODS  OF  SAMPLING  AND  TESTING. 

In  connection  with  the  Survey’s  study  of  the  coal  deposits  of  the 
country  and  the  best  methods  to  prevent  waste  in  mining  and  utiliz¬ 
ing  the  coal  supply,  trained  inspectors  have  visited  nearly  300  mines 
in  23  States,  taking  two  or  more  samples  from  each  mine.  A  study 
of  the  analyses  of  these  samples  and  of  samples  taken  from  cars 
shipped  from  175  of  the  same  mines  shows  that  the  mine  sample 
is  in  most  instances  better  than  the  average  of  the  coal  as  shipped  in 
cars.  On  the  average  the  coal  delivered  contains  about  one-third 
more  ash  than,  the  mine  sample  taken  in  accordance  with  the  instruc¬ 
tions  to  the  miners  regarding  the  rejection  of  slate  and  impurities. 
This  difference  is  due  to  the  failure  of  the  miners  to  follow  these 
instructions  in  getting  out  coal  for  shipment.  The  samples  collected 
by  the  Government  inspectors  from  the  mines  almost  invariably  show 
a  higher  moisture  content  than  is  usually  obtained  in  commercial  sam¬ 
pling,  because  of  the  precaution  taken  to  have  the  sample  represent 
the  coal  in  the  mine.® 

Mine  samples  when  properly  taken  indicate  the  general  character 
of  the  coal  and  enable  one  to  judge  of  its  probable  value  for  any  def¬ 
inite  purpose. 

Samples  taken  from  the  cars  should  not  be  limited  to  a  few  shovel¬ 
fuls  of  coal  from  the  top  of  the  car,  because  the  heavier  pieces  gradu¬ 
ally  work  down  toward  the  bottom.  Some  samples  taken  at  the 
bottom  of  a  car  have  shown  as  much  as  8  per  cent  more  ash  than 
the  coal  at  the  top.  The  moisture  also  may  vary  from  top  to  bot¬ 
tom,  depending  on  the  weather.  The  only  way  to  get  a  fair  sample 
is  to  take  a  number  of  shovelfuls  of  coal  from  various  points  in  the 
car,  so  as  to  procure  a  representative  portion  of  the  coal  from  top  to 
bottom  and  from  end  to  end. 

Bituminous  coal  when  exposed  to  the  air  gradually  depreciates  in 
heating  value,  owing  to  losses  of  volatile  matter,  but  aside  from  this 
loss  there  should  be  the  same  total  number  of  heat  units  in  a  car  of 
coal  when  it  reaches  its  destination  as  when  it  started.  If  rain  falls 
on  the  coal  it  will  become  heavier  and  a  greater  number  of  pounds 
will  be  delivered,  but  each  pound  will  have  a  correspondingly  lower 
heat  value.  On  the  other  hand,  if  the  weather  is  fair  and  the  coal 
dries  out  on  the  way,  it  will  weigh  less  and  the  heating  value  of 
each  pound  will  be  correspondingly  higher.  In  other  words,  under 
a  specification  such  as  is  used  by  the  Government,  neither  the  dealer 

a  A  description  of  the  method  of  mine  sampling  is  given  in  Bull.  U.  S.  Geol.  Survey 
No.  290,  1906,  pp.  17-18.  See  also  Bull.  No.  316,  1907,  pp.  486-517. 


22 


THE  PURCHASE  OF  COAL  UNDER  SPECIFICATIONS. 


nor  the  purchaser  will  gain  or  lose  by  change  in  the  moisture  con¬ 
tent  of  the  coal  between  the  time  it  is  weighed  at  the  mine  and  the 
time  it  is  weighed  on  delivery.  The  price  per  ton  will  be  correspond¬ 
ingly  lower  if  the  coal  is  wet  and  higher  if  the  coal  is  dry. 

In  order  to  determine  the  maximum  variation  in  moisture  in  sev¬ 
eral  sizes  of  anthracite  coal  the  following  experiments  were  made: 
The  coal  was  soaked  in  water  to  allow  it  to  absorb  as  much  moisture 
as  possible,  the  result  representing  the  extreme  conditions  due  to 
rains  or  other  causes.  Each  sample  was  then  weighed  and  allowed 
to  dry  in  a  room  exposed  to  the  air.  When  this  sample  ceased  to  lose 
moisture  it  was  assumed  to  be  air  dried,  which  represents  the  condi¬ 
tion  of  least  moisture  to  be  expected  in  a  delivery  of  coal.  The  re¬ 
sults  are  summarized  in  the  following  table : 


Experiments  to  determine  possible  variations  of  moisture  in  anthracite  coal 

during  shipment. 


Furnace. 

Pea. 

Buck¬ 

wheat. 

"Number  of  samples  used  in  e-x-periment 

13 

0.5  to  24 
5.12 
3.58 
.73  to  1.54 

30 

10 
24 
5.74 
1.84 
3.1  to3.9 

68 

12 

24 

8.44 

2.24 

4.5to6.2 

74 

Number  of  hours  dried  in  air  at  ordinary  room  temperature, _ 

Total  moisture  in  thoroughly  wet  coal _ percent,. 

Moisture  in  air-dried  samples _  _ do  __ 

boss  of  moisture  .  do 

Percentage  of  maximum  variation  in  moisture  from  wet  to  air- 
dried  coal,  _ 

The  air-dried  anthracite  still  contains  from  1.8  to  3.6  per  cent  of 
moisture.  Moisture  in  air-dried  coal  varies  with  the  weather,  just  as 
it  does  in  wood. 

The  moisture  in  air-dried  bituminous  coals  depends  on  the  character 
of  the  coal.  It  is  about  1  per  cent  in  West  Virginia  coal  and  about  7 
per  cent  in  Illinois  coal.  The  moisture  in  the  same  Illinois  coal 
delivered  may  range  from  7  to  17  per  cent. 

Owing  to  these  variations  some  method  should  be  used  to  correct 
for  the  difference  in  moisture  in  coals  of  different  character. 

The  following  suggestions  are  presented  for  the  guidance  of  those 
who  wish  to  send  samples  to  a  laboratory  for  analysis : 

If  samples  are  taken  at  the  buildings  as  the  coal  is  delivered,  it  will 
usually  be  satisfactory  to  take  one  shovelful  of  coal  from  each  third 
or  fifth  wagonload,  the  load  being  selected  without  the  knowledge  of 
the  driver.  It  must  be  kept  in  mind  that  the  main  object  is  to  obtain 
a  portion  of  coal  which  represents  as  nearly  as  possible  the  entire 
delivery.  The  sample  should  contain  about  the  same  proportion  of 
lump  and  fine  coal  as  exists  in  the  shipment  as  a  whole.  The  practice 
of  taking  a  shovelful  near  the  bottom  of  the  pile  should  be  avoided, 
as  the  larger  lumps  of  coal  roll  down  and  collect  near  the  bottom  and 
such  a  sample  will  not  truly  represent  the  coal. 


METHODS  OF  SAMPLING  AND  TESTING. 


23 


These  samples  should  be  immediately  deposited  in  a  metal  recep¬ 
tacle  having  a  tight-fitting  cover  and  provided  with  a  first-class  lock. 
Except  when  samples  are  being  deposited  or  when  the  contents  are 
being  quartered  down,  this  receptacle  should  be  securely  locked  and 
Ihe  key  held  by  a  responsible  employee.  The  receptacle  should  be 
placed  in  a  comparatively  cool  location  to  avoid  loss  of  moisture  in 
the  coal.  When  it  becomes  filled,  or  at  the  end  of  the  sampling 
period,  the  contents  should  be  emptied  on  a  clean,  dry  floor,  in  a  cone- 
shaped  pile.  The  larger  lumps  should  be  broken  down  by  a  coal  maul 
or  sledge,  and  the  pile  re-formed  and  quartered  into  four  equal  parts, 
a  shovel  or  board  being  used  to  separate  the  four  sections.  Two 
opposite  sections  should  then  be  rejected  and  the  remaining  two  again 
mixed,  broken  down,  and  re-formed  into  a  pile  to  be  quartered  as 
before.  This  process  should  be  continued  until  the  lumps  are  no 
larger  than  pea  size,  and  a  quart  sample  is  finally  procured.  The 
samples  should  then  immediately  be  placed  in  suitable  receptacles  for 
shipping  and  sealed  air-tight.  The  Geological  Survey  inspectors  use 
a  metal  can  3  inches  in  diameter  and  9  inches  high,  with  a  screw  cap 
2  inches  in  diameter,  for  making  shipments  to  the  chemical  laboratory. 
These  cans  are  sealed  air-tight  by  winding  adhesive  electrical  tape 
around  the  joint  of  the  screw  cap.  Each  can  holds  about  a  quart,  or 
2  pounds  of  coal. 

The  process  of  quartering  down  and  preparing  samples  for  ship¬ 
ment  to  the  chemical  laboratory  for  analysis  should  be  carried  on  as 
rapidly  as  possible  to, avoid  loss  of  moisture.  The  samples  should 
be  forwarded  promptly  and  notice  of  shipment  sent  under  separate 
cover.  Receptacles  should  be  marked  plainly  on  the  outside,  and  a 
corresponding  number  or  description  should  be  placed  inside.  A 
complete  record  of  all  deliveries  should  be  kept,  showing  dates, 
names  of  contractor,  kind  of  coal,  total  weight  delivered,  condition 
of  coal  (wet  or  dry),  and  any  other  particulars  of  importance. 

The  procedure  at  the  chemical  laboratory  of  the  Geological  Survey 
testing  plant  is  described  in  Survey  Bulletin  No.  261.  The  samples 
are  crushed  and  ground  to  a  fine  powder,  and  then  analyzed  and 
tested. 

Persons  not  experienced  in  taking  samples  have  a  tendency  to 
select  a  sample  better  than  the  average.  In  many  cases  a  lump  of 
coal  is  broken  and  shipped  in  a  cloth  sack  to  the  laboratory.  This 
allows  the  moisture  to  dry  out ;  moreover,  the  lump  selected  is  usually 
free  from  layers  of  slate  and  impurities  and  of  course  then  represents 
the  best  coal  in  the  lot,  and  shows  a  higher  value  than  can  be  expected 
to  hold  throughout  the  coal  delivered. 

The  preceding  statements  show  that  the  purchaser  should  usually 
have  the  quality  determined  on  the  basis  of  coal  “  as  received,”  in 
order  to  correct  any  excess  or  deficiency  in  the  moisture  content. 


24 


THE  PURCHASE  OF  COAL  UNDER  SPECIFICATIONS. 


ANALYSES  OF  COALS  DELIVERED  TO  THE  GOVERNMENT. 

The  following  tables,  giving  the  results  of  tests  made  by  the 
Geological  Survey  on  coal  delivered  to  the  Government  Departments, 
are  submitted  in  response  to  numerous  recent  requests  for  informa¬ 
tion  regarding  the  quality  of  coal  which  may  be  expected,  and  the 
variations  in  quality  which  may  be  found  from  month  to  month  in 
coal  delivered  by  the  same  dealer  and  presumably  from  the  same 
mine  or  group  of  mines: 


Average  analyses  of  anthracite  coal  delivered  to  all  Government  buildings  in 
Washington,  D.  G.,  from  December  15,  1906,  to  April  26,  1907.a 


Furnace. 

Egg. 

Pea. 

Buck¬ 

wheat. 

Dry  coal: 

Volatile  matter  _  _  —  _  _  ___  . 

2.42 

3.10 

3.02 

2.42 

Fixed  carbon..  - -  - 

87.14 

86.33 

80.94 

79.53 

Ash  _  _  _ 

10.44 

10.57 

16.04 

18.05 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

Sulphur  b _  _ 

.79 

.98 

.80 

.68 

B.  t.  u _  _  ...  _ 

13,408 

13,523 

12,487 

12,107 

Coal  as  received: 

Moisture - -  -  —  - - 

4.08 

4.16 

4.81 

5.09 

B.  t.  u _ 

12,861 

12,961 

11,886 

11,485 

a  Payment  not  based  on  chemical  analysis. 
6  Separately  determined. 


Analyses  of  anthracite  furnace  coal  delivered  during  1907  to  a  Government 
building  in  Washington,  D.  C.a 


Jan.  29. 

Feb.  2. 

Feb.  4. 

Feb.  9. 

Feb.  11. 

Feb.  12. 

Feb.  14.  Feb.  15. 

Dry  coal: 

Volatile  matter— 

Fixed  carbon _ 

Ash -  _ 

Sulphur  6 _ 

B.  t.  u _ 

Coal  as  received: 

Moisture _  . 

B.  t.  u _ 

2.66 

86.38 

10.96 

2.85 

86.34 

10.81 

3.32 

87.66 

9.02 

2.53 

86.65 

10.82 

3.06 

85.45 

11.49 

2.56 

86.69 

10.75 

2.99 

86.63 

10.38 

2.09 

86.15 

11.76 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00’ 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

.78 

13,297 

4.13 

12,749 

.78 

13,435 

4.19 

12,874 

.78 

13,764 

4.67 

13,121 

.78 

13,418 

4.41 

12,826 

.69 

13,282 

3.83 

12,773 

.84 

13,360 

5.83 

12,582 

.83 

13,427 

4.99 

12,757 

.95 

13,168 

4.33 

12,595 

• 

Feb.  23. 

Feb.  25. 

Feb.  26. 

Feb.  27. 

Feb.  28. 

Mar.  13.  \  Average. 

Dry  coal: 

Volatile  matter _ _ 

Fixed  carbon.  _  _ 

Ash _  . 

1.56 

87.96 

10.48 

1.62 

87.77 

10.61 

2.00 

88.61 

9.39 

3.34 

86.12 

10.54 

2.84 

85.37 

11.79 

2.13 

87.22 

10.65 

2.51 

86.74 

10.75 

Sulphur  6 - 

B.  t.  u _ 

Coal  as  received: 

Moisture _ 

B.  t.  u _ 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

.93 

13,094 

3.06 

12,694 

'  .78 
13,346 

3.50 

12,879 

.74 

13,655 

3.93 

13,118 

.87 

13,390 

4.50 

12,787 

.86 

13,166 

5.60 

12,429 

.79 

13,421 

2.12 

13,136 

.81 

13,363 

4.24 

12,796 

a  Contract  for  4,500  tons.  Payment  not  based  on  chemical  analysis. 
b  Separately  determined. 


COALS  DELIVERED  TO  THE  GOVERNMENT, 


25 


Analyses  of  anthracite  egg  coal  delivered  during  1907  to  a  Government  building 
in  Washington,  D.  G.a 


Jan.  29. 

Jan.  31. 

Feb.  5. 

Feb.  9.  Feb.  11. 

Feb.  13. 

Feb.  14. 

Feb.  15. 

Feb.  21. 

Dry  coal: 

Volatile  matter. 
Fixed  carbon. __ 
Ash _ 

2.96 

86.29 

10.75 

2.83 

85.58 

11.59 

2.57 

86.27 

11.16 

3.90 

85.39 

10.71 

3.17 

86.76 

10.07 

3.53 

86.04 

10.43 

3.05 

86.90 

10.05 

3.69 

86.36 

9.95 

2.86 

85.72 

11.42 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00' 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

Sulphur  b _ 

B.  t.  u__  _ 

Coal  as  received: 

Moisture _ 

B.  t.  u _ 

.98 

13,423 

4.18 

12,863 

.92 

13,279 

4.34 

12,703 

.86 

13,336 

3.38 

12,886 

1.15 

13,495 

4.01 

12,953 

1.06 

13,588 

4.11 

13,030 

.93 

13,614 

4.17 

13,045 

1.04 

13,738 

4.73 

13,688 

1.12 

13,649 

4.51 

13,034 

.97 

13,328 

4.23 

12,764 

Feb.  23. 

Feb.  25. 

Feb.  26. 

Feb.  28. 

Mar.  3. 

Apr.  2. 

Apr.  19. 

Apr.  24. 

Aver¬ 

age. 

Dry  coal: 

Volatile  matter.  _ 

Fixed  carbon _ 

Ash _ 

Sulphur  b - 

B.  t.  u _  ... 

Coal  as  received: 

Moisture _ 

B.  t.  u _ 

3.60 

87.99 

9.40 

3.62 

86.00' 

10.38 

3.15 

86.58 

10.27 

3.22 

86.46 

10.32 

2.86 

85.53 

11.61 

3.01 

87.59 

9.40 

2.89 

86.93 

10.18 

3.19 

86.36 

10.45 

3.41 

86.99 

9.60 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

.94 

13,798 

4.15 

13,174 

.98 

13,643 

3.64 

13,291 

.99 

13,608 

4.07 

13,054 

1.13 
13,617 

4.13 
13,055 

1.02 

13,293 

3.15 

12,874 

.99 

13,657 

4.08 

13,100 

1.08 

13,672 

3.92 

13,136 

1.01 

13,558 

4.07 

13,006 

.99 

13,744 

4.15 

13,174 

a  Contract  for  9,000  tons.  Payment  not  based  on  chemical  analysis. 
b  Separately  determined. 


Analyses  of  anthracite  pea  coal  delivered  during  1906-7  to  a  Government 
building  in  Washington,  D..  G.a 


Dec.  22. 

Jan.  9. 

Jan.  24. 

Jan.  28. 

Jan.  31. 

Feb.  5. 

Feb.  6. 

Feb.  7. 

Feb.  11. 

Feb.  12. 

Dry  coal: 

Volatile  matter__ 

Fixed  carbon _ 

Ash _ 

Sulphur  6 _ 

B.  t.  u  _  - 

Coal  as  received: 

Moisture _ 

B.  t.  u _  . 

3.38 

80.51 

16.11 

100.00 

2.58 

84.17 

13.25 

100.00 

3.73 

81.34 

14.93 

3.07 

82.16 

14.77 

3.33 

80.22 

16.45 

3.39 

80.80 

15.81 

4.06 

79.37 

16.57 

3.30 

80.57 

16.13 

3.77 

79.95 

16.28 

3.23 

80.09 

16.68 

100.00 

100.00 

100,.  00 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

.60 

12,460 

4.35 

11,919 

.67 

12,883 

4.62 

12,286 

.99 

12,877 

5.24 

12,203 

1.01 

12,835 

3.40 

12,399 

.87 

12,583 

5.62 

11,876 

.78 

12,623 

5.86 

11,883 

.76 

12,555 

4.27 

12,019 

.77 

12,552 

5.50 

11,862 

.71 

12,418 

6.04 

11,668 

.68 

12,384 

5.78 

11,668 

I 

Feb.  13.  Feb.  14. 

Feb.  18. 

Feb.  19. 

Feb.  25. 

Mar. 18. 

Apr.  1. 

Apr.  8. 

Apr.  12. 

Aver¬ 

age. 

Dry  coal: 

Volatile  matter.- 

Fixed  carbon _ 

Ash _ 

Sulphur  6 _ 

B.  t.  u  _ 

Coal  as  received: 

Moisture _ 

B.  t.  u _ _ 

2.27 

82.45 

15.28 

2.32 

80.45 

17.23 

3.50 

78.75 

17.75 

3.06 

81.35 

15.59 

2.13 

83.24 

14.63 

2.50 

80.83 

16.67 

2.49 

79.45 

18.06 

2.51 

81.00 

16.49 

2.74 

81.24 

16.02 

3.02 

80:94 

16.04 

100. 00' 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

.80 

12,487 

4.81 

11,886 

.92 

12,300 

5.20 

11,660 

.86 

12,317 

4.92 

11,711 

1.05 

12,160 

4.58 

11,603 

.89 

12,464 

5.23 

11,812 

.68 

12,627 

5.02 

11,993 

.80 

12,410 

3.85 

11,932 

.69 

12,038 

2.97 

11,680 

.64 

12,284 

5.18 

11,649 

.77 

12,479 

3.77 

12,008 

a  Contract  for  6,000  tons.  Payment  not  based  on  chemical  analysis. 
b  Separately  determined. 


26 


THE  PURCHASE  OF  COAL  UNDER  SPECIFICATIONS, 


Analyses  of  anthracite  buckwheat  coal  delivered  during  1906-7  to  a  Government 
building  in  Washington,  D.  G.a 


Dec.  18. 

Jan.  15. 

Jan.  16. 

Jan.  22. 

Jan.  23. 

Jan.  28. 

Jan.  31. 

Feb.  4. 

Dry  coal: 

Volatile  matter. 
Fixed  carbon.— 
Ash _ _ _ 

Sulphur  b _ 

B.  t.  u  _ 

Coal  as  received: 

Moisture-  _ 

B.  t.  u - 

2.50 

80.34 

17.16 

1.93 

82.40 

15.67 

2.21 

80.94 

16.85 

2.49 

80.72 

16.79 

2.41 

76.32 

21.27 

1.98 

79.38 

18.64 

3.23 

78.61 

18.16 

2.89 

80.57 

16.54 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

.63 

12,245 

4.79 

11,659 

.73 

12,475 

5.59 

11,776 

.68 

12,314 

4.47 

11,763 

.67 

12,370 

4.93 

11,755 

.67 

11,574 

5.32 

10,959 

.67 

11,970 

4.38 

11,445 

.67 

11,843 

5.13 

11,236 

.60 

12,265 

4.69 

11,681 

Feb.  7. 

Feb.  12. 

Feb.  15. 

Mar.  2. 

Mar.  20. 

Apr.  3. 

Apr.  13. 

Average 

Dry  coal: 

Volatile  matter.— 

Fixed  carbon _ 

Ash _ 

Sulphur  6 _ 

B.  t.  u _  _  - 

Coal  as  received: 
Moisture. _  _ 

B.  t.  u _ 

1.78 

76.91 

21.31 

2.66 

80.03 

17.31 

2.59 

79.34 

18.07 

2.07 

76.90 

21.03 

2.87 

81.56 

15.57 

2.11 

79.52 

18.37 

2.62 

79.36 

18.02 

2.42 

79.53 

18.05 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00' 

100.00' 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

.67 

11,635 

5.51 

10,993 

.70 

12,350 

5.36 

11,609 

.77 

12,098 

5.57 

11,016 

.70 

11,749 

6.10 

11,032 

.62 

12,545 

4.60 

11,968 

.77 

12,109 

4.31 

11,587 

.69 

12,071 

5.64 

11,390 

.68 

12,107 

5.09 

11,485 

«  Contract  for  5,000  tons.  Payment  not  based  on  chemical  analysis. 
b  Separately  determined. 


Analyses  of  bituminous  coal  delivered  during  1906-7  to  a  Government  building 
in  Washington,  D.  C.,  as  being  run-of-mine  from  Georges  Creek. 


Dec.  27. 

Jan.  3. 

Jan.  22. 

Jan.  23. 

Jan.  30. 

Feb.  6. 

ry  coal: 

Volatile  matter _ 

16.84 

16.24 

17.26 

17.08 

16.43 

16.66 

Fixed  carbon _  _ 

73.01 

75.07 

75.27 

76.23 

75.11 

75.57 

Ash_ - - - 

10.15 

8.69 

7.47 

6.74 

8.46 

7.77 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

Sulphur® _  _ 

1.02 

.93 

1.03 

1.08 

.80 

.94 

B.  t.  u _ 

14,017 

14,364 

14,636 

14,764 

14,441 

14,586 

oal  as  received: 

Moisture- _ _  _  _ _ 

4.80 

2.77 

3.43 

4.22 

3.09 

3.73 

B.  t.  u _  __  - 

13,343 

13,966 

14,134 

14,141 

13,995 

14,040 

Feb.  9. 

Feb.  15. 

Mar.  28. 

Feb.  21. 

Apr.- 15. 

Dry  coal: 

Volatile  matter _ 

16.21 

15.77 

16.29 

16.42 

15.76 

Fixed  carbon _  _  _ 

74.99 

75.12 

74.55 

74.79 

76.89 

Ash _ _  _ 

8.80 

9.11 

9.16 

8.79 

7.35 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

100.00 

Sulphur® _  _ 

.95 

.99 

1.03 

.95 

.95 

B.  t.  u _ 

14,317 

14,308 

14,264 

14,352 

14,632 

Coal  as  received: 

Moisture _  _ 

4.07 

3.12 

3.15 

2.94 

2.97 

B.  t.  u -  —  _  . 

13,734 

13,862 

13,815 

13,930 

14,197 

Separately  determined. 


THE  PURCHASE  OF  COAL  UNDER  SPECIFICATIONS. 


27 


SOME  PUBLICATIONS  ON  COAL. 

The  following  are  a  few  of  the  Survey  publications  on  coal.  A 
more  complete  list  is  given  in  Bulletin  No.  316,  pages  518-532.  The 
reports  here  named  are  now  available  for  distribution.  Others  are  in 
press  and  still  others  are  in  preparation.  Applications  for  these 
reports,  except  for  Bulletin  No.  261  and  Professional  Paper  No.  48, 
should  be  addressed  to  The  Director,  United  States  Geological 
Survey,  Washington,  D.  C. 

Bulletin  No.  261.  Preliminary  report  on  the  operations  of  the  coal-testing 
plant  of  the  United  States  Geological  Survey  at  the  Louisiana  Purchase  Exposi¬ 
tion,  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  1904.  E.  W.  Parker,  J.  A.  Holmes,  M.  R.  Campbell,  com¬ 
mittee  in  charge.  1905.  172  pp.  Out  of  stock.  Can  be  obtained  by  sending  10 

cents  in  cash  to  the  Superintendent  of  Documents,  Washington,  D.  C. 

Professional  Paper  No.  48.  Report  on  the  operations  of  the  coal-testing 
plant  of  the  United  States  Geological  Survey  at  the  Louisiana  Purchase  Exposi¬ 
tion,  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  1904.  E.  W.  Parker,  J.  A.  Holmes,  M.  R.  Campbell,  com¬ 
mittee  in  charge.  1906.  In  three  parts.  1492  pp.,  13  pis.  Out  of  stock.  Can 
be  obtained  by  sending  $1.50  in  cash  to  the  Superintendent  of  Documents, 
Washington,  D.  C. 

Bulletin  No.  290.  Preliminary  report  on  the  operations  of  the  fuel-testing 
plant  of  the  United  States  Geological  Survey  at  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  1905.  By  J.  A. 
Holmes.  1906.  240  pp. 

Bulletin  No.  323.  Experimental  work  conducted  in  the  chemical  laboratory 
of  the  fuel-testing  plant,  St.  Louis,  January  1,  1905,  to  July  31,  1906.  By  N.  W. 
Lord.  1907.  49  pp. 

Bulletin  No.  325.  A  study  of  four  hundred  steaming  tests  made  at  the  fuel¬ 
testing  plant,  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  1904,  1905,  and  1906.  By  L.  P.  Breckenridge. 
1907.  196  pp. 

A  few  miscellaneous  references  of  special  interest  may  be  given, 
as  follows: 

Bement,  A.  The  testing  of  coal.  Western  Society  of  Engineers. 

Electrical  World.  Editorial,  April  6,  1907. 

Engineering  Record.  Editorial,  April  13,  1907. 

Parr,  S.  W.  Composition  and  character  of  coals.  Bulletin  No.  3,  Illinois 
Geological  Survey,  Urbana,  Ill. 

Preliminary  report  of  committee  on  coal  analysis.  Journal  of  the  American 
Chemical  Society,  vol.  20,  1898. 

Report  of  the  committee  on  coal  analysis.  Journal  of  the  American  Chemical 
Society,  vol.  21,  1899. 

Voorhees,  S.  S.  Analysis  of  coal.  American  Society  for  Testing  Materials, 
1907. 

Woodwell,  J.  E.  The  purchase  of  coal.  American  Society  for  Testing  Mate¬ 
rials,  1907 ;  Mines  and  Minerals,  September,  1907. 


CLASSIFICATION  OF  THE  PUBLICATIONS  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  GEOLOGICAL 

SURVEY. 


[Bulletin  No.  339.] 

The  serial  publications  of  the  United  States  Geological  Survey  consist  of  (1) 
Annual  Reports,  (2)  Monographs,  (3)  Professional  Papers,  (4)  Bulletins,  (5)  Mineral 
Resources,  (6)  Water-Supply  and  Irrigation  Papers,  (7)  Topographic  Atlas  of  United 
States — folios  and  separate  sheets  thereof,  (8)  Geologic  Atlas  of  the  United  States — 
folios  thereof.  The  classes  numbered  2,  7,  and  8  are  sold  at  cost  of  publication ;  the 
others  are  distributed  free.  A  circular  giving  complete  lists  can  be  had  on  application. 

Most  of  the  above  publications  can  be  obtained  or  consulted  in  the  following  ways: 

1.  A  limited  number  are  delivered  to  the  Director  of  the  Survey,  from  whom  they 
can  be  obtained,  free  of  charge  (except  classes  2,  7,  and  8),  on  application. 

2.  A  certain  number  are  delivered  to  Senators  and  Representatives  in  Congress 
for  distribution. 

3.  Other  copies  are  deposited  with  the  Superintendent  of  Documents,  Washington, 
D.  C.,  from  whom  they  can  be  had  at  practically  cost. 

4.  Copies  of  all  Government  publications  are  furnished  to  the  principal  public 
libraries  in  the  large  cities  throughout  the  United  States,  where  they  can  be  consulted 
by  those  interested. 

The  Professional  Papers,  Bulletins,  and  Water-Supply  Papers  treat  of  a  variety  of 
subjects,  and  the  total  number  issued  is  large.  They  have  therefore  been  classified 
into  the  following  series:  A,  Economic  geology;  B,  Descriptive  geology;  C,  System¬ 
atic  geology  and  paleontology;  D,  Petrography  and  mineralogy;  E,  Chemistry  and 
physics;  F,  Geography;  G,  Miscellaneous;  H,  Forestry;  I,  Irrigation;  J,  Water  stor¬ 
age;  K,  Pumping  water;  L,  Quality  of  water;  M,  General  hydrographic  investiga¬ 
tions;  N,  Water  power;  O,  Underground  waters;  P,  Hydrographic  progress  reports, 
Q,  Fuels;  R,  Structural  materials.  This  paper  is  the  tenth  in  Series  Q,  the  com¬ 
plete  list  of  which  follows  (PP= Professional  Paper;  B=Bulletin): 


SERIES  Q,  FUELS. 

B  261.  Preliminary  report  of  the  operations  of  the  coal-testing  plant  of  the  United  States  Geological 
Survey  at  the  Louisiana  Purchase  Exposition,  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  1904;  E.  W.  Parker,  J.  A. Holmes, 
M.  R.  Campbell,  committee  in  charge.  1905.  172  pp. 

PP  48.  Report  on  the  operations  of  the  coal- testing  plant  of  the  United  States  Geological  Survey  at  the 
Louisiana  Purchase  Exposition,  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  1904;  E.  W.  Parker,  J.  A.  Holmes,  M.  R.  Camp¬ 
bell,  committee  in  charge.  1906.  3  parts.  1,492  pp.,  13  pis. 

B  290.  Preliminary  report  on  the  operations  of  the  fuel-testing  plant  of  the  United  States  Geological 
Survey  at  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  1905,  by  J.  A.  Holmes.  1906.  240  pp. 

B  323.  Experimental  work  conducted  in  the  chemical  laboratory  of  the  United  States  fuel-testing 
plant  at  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  January  1, 1905,  to  July  31, 1906,  by  N.  W.  Lord.  1907.  49  pp. 

B  325.  A  study  of  four  hundred  steaming  tests  made  at  the  fuel-testing  plant,  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  in  1904, 
1905,  and  1906,  by  L.  P.  Breckenridge.  1907.  196  pp. 

B  332.  Report  of  the  United  States  fuel-testing  plant  at  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  January  1, 1906,  to  July  1, 1907, 
Joseph  A.  Holmes  in  charge.  1908.  - pp. 

B  333.  Coal-mine  accidents:  their  causes  and  prevention;  a  preliminary  statistical  report,  by 
Clarence  Hall  and  W.  O.  Snelling,  with  an  introduction  by  J.  A.  Holmes.  1907.  21  pp. 

B.  334.  The  burning  of  coal  without  smoke  in  boiler  plants,  a  preliminary  report,  by  D.  T.  Randall. 
1908.  26  pp. 

B  336.  Washing  and  coking  tests  of  coal  and  cupola  tests  of  coke,  by  Richard  Moldenke,  A.  W. 
Belden,  and  G.  R.  Delamater.  1908.  - pp. 

B  339.  The  purchase  of  coal  under  Government  and  commercial  specifications,  on  the  basis  of  its 
heating  value,  by  D.  T.  Randall.  1908.  27  pp. 


Correspondence  should  be  addressed  to 

The  Director, 

United  States  Geological  Survey, 

Washington,  D.  C. 

January,  1908 


o 


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